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W. E. ANDREE.

'KlCK-OFF DEVICE FOR GARMENT PRESSES.

APPLlCATlON FILED NOV. 1 I91? 1,31 1,546. Patented July 29, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. L 1911'.

Patented July 29, 1919.

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w. E. ANDRE E KICK-OFF DEVICE FOR GARMENT PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. l. IEHT, 1 ,31 1,546. Patented July 29, 1919.

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w. E. ANDREE.

KICK-OFF DEVICE FOR GARMENT PRESSES.

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w R 4 a H A 1 APPLICATION HLED NOV-1.1911. 1,31 1,546.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

WILLIAM E. ANDREI OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRYMACHINERY COMPANY, OF NOR'WOOD, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

KICK-OFF DEVICE FOR GARMENT- PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919..

Application filed November 1, 1917. Serial No, 199,657.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM. E. ANnmin, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Kick-Off Devices forGarment-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garment pressing machines, and moreparticularly to machines of this kind when operated in multiple. Theinvention is an improvement upon the construction described and claimedin a prior application of Chas. L. Braley for tandem attachment forironing presses, filed August 24, 1916, Serial No. 116,696.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction forcoupling or connecting together a plurality of garment pressing orironing machines located adjacent to each other so as to be capable ofoporation by asingle operator stepping from one machine to the other.More particularly theinvention has for its object to provide directcoupling or connections between the pressure applying means or device ofone machine and the releasing means or device of the other machine,sothat the ordinary operation of one machine to apply pressure to the workwill automatically kick off or re: lease the other machine, and viceversa.

A further object of the invention is to generally improve theconstruction of the connections between the several pressing machines.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part willappear more in detail hereinafter.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspectivelong as it embodies a treadleor other device for applying pressure to the goods to be pressed and atreadle or other device for opening the machine to release the goodsfrom pressure. The pressing machine may be actuated either by muscularforce of the operator or by suitable power mechanism controlled by'theoperator. said machine may be of the construction shown in my priorapplication for garment press, filed March 22, 1916, Serial No. 85,908,although, for purposes of illustration Fig. 1 represents a power pressof the same general form as the press of my prior application forgarment press, filed June 7, 1916, Serial No. 102,296. Only a briefdescription of said press is therefore essential. The press showncomprises a suitable frame 1 carrying a stationary pressing bed 2 onwhich the goods to be pressed are laid and a hinged arm 3 carryin anupper pressing member or head 4 movable into pressing relation with thebed. Movement of said upperpressing member is produced by a pivotedtrcadle 5 connected by a suitable series of levers and links to thehinged arm 3 and also connected to close a suitable switch (not shown)for controlling a motor 7 which through power mechanism produces thefinal heavy pressure of the head upon the bed. The rcssure treadle 5projects outwardly from t io front of the machine into convenientposition for application of the foot of the operator. At one side of thepressure treadle is a release treadle 8 pivoted at 9 to the frame andprovided on its inner end with a laterally extending yoke or projection10 lying beneath the pressure treadle 5. Said release treadle may alsobe connected to the motor switch before referred to and close the sameso as to cause the motor to produce opening movement of the press. \Vhenthe )ressure treadle is down and the press is held in pressing position,as shown at the right in Fig. 1, pressure on the kick-off treadle 8lifts the pressure treadle or actuates said switch and opens the press.

According to the present im ntion at least two machines are associatedin cotiperating relation so that they are capable of being operated by asingle operator stepping from one press to the other. Fig. 1 shows twoidentical machines A, B, of the character just described, located sideby side and coupled or connected according to the present For example,

invention.

pressed thereto.

The connections between said machines are as follows:

The frames 'of the two machines are provided with brackets 12 carryinghearings to support a shaft 13 extending from machine to machine. Onsaid shaft is a hollow tubular shaft 14 rotating in supportsin otherbrackets 15 carried by the machine frames. Shaft 13 at one end isprovided with a forwardly extending arm 16 pivotally connected at itsouter end to a rod 17 extending down through an opening in the pressuretreadle 5 of one machine, say machine A, and beneath said treadle beingprovided with a suitable abutment, such as a' nut or nuts 18 threadedonto the end of the rod. The opposite end of shaft 13 is prov ded with arearwardly extending arm 19 pivotally connected by a link 20 to theouter end of a lever 21 having a toe portion 22 lying above the kick offtreadle 8 of the other machine, say machine B.

The-sleeve 14, at one end is provided with a forwardly extending arm 23pivotally connected to a rod 24 similar to the rod 17 and likewiseextendin through an opening in the pressure tread e 5 of machine 13beneath which it is provided with a head 26. The opposite end of sleeve11 is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 27 connected by a link 28to a lever 29 on machine A and similar in all respects to the lever 21.

Let us assume that the presses are in the position shown in Fig. 1 withpress B closed and press A opened. The operator applies goods or agarment to the bed of press A and there arranges it in proper form to bepressed. He then applies his foot to the pressure treadle 5 of machine Aand brings the head of said machine into pressing relation with its bed.The downward motion of treadle 5 takes upthe lost motion between saidtreadle and head 18, finallymoving said head downwardly and turning theshaft 13, so as to pull on the link 20 and thereby actuate the releasetreadle of machine B, which immediately opens. The operator then ste sto machine B and supplies a garment to be During this time the garmenton machine A is under pressure and subject to the heat of the heatedhead and bed. \Vhen the garment 'on press B is properly arranged theoperator depresses its pres- ;sure treadle, and final downward motion ofthe pressure treadle of said machine turns the tubular shaft 11 andactuates the release treadle of machine A. \Vhen the operator steps backto machine A be immediately removes the garment therefrom and applies anew garment.

It will be readily seen that with this arrangement the operator canreadily manipulate the two machines in substantially the same timeordinarily required to operate a single machine, but nevertheless with alarge increase in the output. He is under no duty to actuate the releasetreadle of each machine, as the release of each machine is automaticallycaused by application of pressure to the other.

The two coupled machines need not be located side by side, as frequentlyit is desirable where space is limited to otherwise arrange themachines.

Fig. 3 shows another arrangement in which machines M and N are locatedat an angle of 90 to each other. On each machine are located brackets 30and 31 supporting outer tubular shaft members 32 and inner solid shaftmembers 33 connected by proper arms, links and levers to the pressureand release treadles of the two machines in the same manner as inFig. 1. The two sets of shaft members however, are at an angle of 90 toeach other. Their adjacent ends are therefore :ournaled in bearings in asleeve 31 adjust-a le vertically on a vertical standard or support 35,whose base rests on the floor or other support. To connect the twocooperatin inner shaft members 33, one of said mem ers is provided withan arm working in a yoke 37 on an arm 38 carried by the other shaftmember 33. Sleeves 32 are likewise connected by a plain arm 39 and yokearm 40. This arrangement transmits the motion of one shaft member 33 toits companion shaft member 33 and from one tubular shaft member 32 toits companion shaft member 32. p

Fig. 4 shows an arrangement in which the two machines X and Y are at anangle of 180 to each other, or in other words, are face to face. Thisarrangement requires a vertical standard or support 41 located midwaybetween and at one side of the two machines and carrying laterallyextending rods or members 42 which in turn support bear lng members 43in which the ends of the 00- operating inner and outer shaft members 44,45 are journaled. These shaft members it will be understood areconnected to the pressure and release treadles -of two ma.- chines inthe manner before described. The

tubular shaft members 45 are cooperatively connected by a link 47pivotally connectedto arms 46 on said two shaft members, one of saidarms extending downwardly and the other upwardly. The inner shaftmembers 14 are likewise connected by a link pivotally connected to twosimilar arms 19 on the two shaft members.

It will be obvious that two machines can i be located at other anglesthan 90 and 180 and by a proper arrangement of links and levers or othermechanism their inner and. outer shaft members may be operativelyconnected.

What I claim is 1. Apparatus of the character described, comprising twopressing machines, each cmbodying relatively movable pressing members, atreadle for producing relative pressing movement of said members, and are lease treadle, and means operatively eonnecting the pressure treadleof one machine to the release treadle of the other.

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprislng two pressingmachines, each embodying relatively movable pressing members, a treadlefor producing relative pressing movement of said members, and a releasetreadle, operating mechanism for the release treadle of one machineextending to the other machine and a lost motion connection between thepressure treadle of theother machine and said mechanism. 1

3. Apparatus of the character described, comprising two pressingmachines, each embodying relatively movable pressing members, a treadlefor producin relative pressing movement of said mem rs, and a releasetreadle, operating mechanism extending from the pressure treadle of thefirst ma chme to the release treadle of the second machine and includinga shaft, and an operating connection extending from the pressure treadleof the second machine to the release treadle of the first machine andincluding a tubular shaft sleeve upon first named shaft.

4. Apparatus of the character described, comp-rising two pressingmachines, each embodying relatively -movable pressing members, a treadlefor producin relative pressing movement of said mem rs, and a releasetreadle, and inner and outer shaft members, one end of each beingoperatively connected respectively to the pressure and release treadleof one machine, and at their opposite ends being v-pivotally connectedto the release and pressure treadles of the other machine. v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM E. ANDREE.

